Trash Truck Plunges Into Creek

Two Rescued Police

An off-duty Lansdale policeman waded into the fast-swelling Skippack Creek during Wednesday's downpour and held the head of a trapped and injured truck driver above water until more help could arrive.

As Donald Delp worked to protect the driver, two neighbors came to the aid of a teen-age passenger who was also pinned.

Police said the truck had tumbled off a bridge into the Montgomery County creek and landed on its side, pinning the driver, Tyrone Culbreath, 38, of 230 E. Minor St., Norristown, and his passenger, Samuel Pier, 16, of 3301 Ridge Pike, Eagleville.

The truck plummeted into the creek below the Allentown Road bridge in Franconia Township after colliding nearly head-on with another trash truck owned by the same company and crashing through the west wall of the bridge.

Delp saw the accident, waded into the creek and entered the cab, where he held Culbreath's head and shoulders above the water level, which reached 6 1/2 feet, until area rescue squads could free him 20 minutes later.

Pier was aided by two men identified by police as Blane Anders and Curtis Kratz until the rescue teams arrived.

Both drivers and the teen-ager were injured, but not seriously. They were taken to Grand View Hospital, Sellersville.

Culbreath was treated for a fractured left kneecap and shoulder sprain, and Pier was treated for cuts of the right forearm.

The other truck was driven by Frederick Leibensperger, 39, of 1302 Gordon St., Allentown. After hitting Culbreath's truck, it ran into the west wall of the bridge.

Leibensperger was treated for scrapes of the face, left wrist and left hand.

Workers from J&J Spill Service of Norristown yesterday were cleaning up about 150 gallons of fuel oil that spilled from tanks into the creek after the truck crashed.

Representatives of the state Department of Environmental Resources were at the scene Wednesday along with Pennsylvania Fish Commission officials.

Both trucks were owned by J.P. Mascaro & Sons of Souderton. Franconia police estimated the damage to each vehicle at $30,000 to $40,000.

Allentown Road was closed between Lower and Elroy roads until Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials were done checking the bridge, a task that took five hours.